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[Professor H]

I'm getting e-mails and facebook notices from a former school mate that passed away over 5 months ago.   Beyond creepy now - but it lends to the question how long will that go on in today's electronic society services?

His email was hacked and will likely stay active for years...
Facebook has one of those daily items that keeps posting updates.

I realize you can block them - but when does inactivity lead these internet services like unlimited e-mail accounts and facebook to deem you electronically dead?

[Skittelroo]

That's a interesting question, Prof.  I'll be interested in the answer, even though I got rid of Facebook long ago.  Perhaps they need to be contacted by a family member with proof of the death....?   Or maybe we can live a virtual eternity thanks to FB.

[Forsythia]

I have a list of passwords for websites and email addresses in case I die.  This way some family member of mine can deactivate any account should I die unexpectedly. 

[Skittelroo]

I have a list of passwords for websites and email addresses in case I die.  This way some family member of mine can deactivate any account should I die unexpectedly.

Good way to plan ahead, Forsythia.   I'm curious if that is the only way accounts can get deactivated.

[Skittelroo]

I did a search and found this...it does appear that someone has to report the death to them.   At the bottom of the page it talks about "memorializing" an account.

[Skittelroo]

I did a search and found this...it does appear that someone has to report the death to them.   At the bottom of the page it talks about "memorializing" an account.

Oops, forgot the link for the above:  http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=185698814812082
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Also found an old page with this info:  "We understand how difficult it can be for people to be reminded of those who are no longer with them, which is why it's important when someone passes away that their friends or family contact Facebook to request that a profile be memorialized," Kelly said in the post. To discourage pranksters, Facebook does require proof before sending a profile down the digital river Styx. Family or friends must fill out a form, providing a link to an obituary or other information confirming a user's death, before the profile is officially memorialized. Once that is completed, the user will cease showing up in Facebook's suggestions, and information like status updates won't show up in Facebook's news feed, the stream of real-time user updates that is the site's centerpiece. If relatives prefer not to have the profile stand as an online memorial, Facebook says it will remove the account altogether.
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1932803,00.html

[Forsythia]

Great work Skittleroo.  That's good to know.

[Skittelroo]

Thanks, Forsythia.   I agree, it is good to know, and I might never have thought about such a thing if Prof H hadn't posed the original question. 

[BigRedDog]

I actually posted about a Facebook App that lets you "post from beyond the grave" earlier this year:  http://monroetalks.com/forum/index.php?topic=25132.msg543910#msg543910

Article from WXYZ:  http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/new-facebook-app-allows-users-to-create-pre-written-goodbye-in-the-event-of-death

Gizmag article:  http://www.gizmag.com/if-i-die-facebook-app/21141/

This one is probably the closest to the original question posted here:

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1932803,00.html

[Skittelroo]

    Your last link to "time" is the same as the one I posted earlier!   I always told my hubby if he isn't nice to me I will come back to haunt him from my grave.......now I know it's probably possible!   

[lordfly]

I personally find it pretty chilling to see social media profiles of the deceased; around 5 years ago one of the students in my program at EMU was shot to death by her own mom a month before she graduated; aside from the shock of the seemingly out of nowhere murder, it was beyond weird to see her profile as it was before the incident, basically up to the minute before she was shot. The profile on Facebook is gone now, but it still gives me chills to see her activity mixed with touching memorial messages people posted on her wall.

I don't think there's a good, clean way for social media companies to deal with the dead and their accounts.